


the electric things have their lives too

by xavierlamehat



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Androids, Angst, M/M, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 21:29:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5349167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xavierlamehat/pseuds/xavierlamehat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is a lawyer and Niall is his android companion. Unfortunately, there are instances when Harry forgets Niall isn't human and he gets disappointed when he is reminded.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the electric things have their lives too

**Author's Note:**

> the animal part of this universe is very loosely based on the book _do androids dream of electric sheep_ (that's also where the title comes from). and if this seems vaguely familiar to anyone, it's a rewrite of sorts from a fic i wrote a while back. enjoy a bit of angsty android fic!

Harry hums to himself as he enters his apartment building. He stops in the lobby, considers taking the teleporter up to the 7th floor, but decides against it in favor of taking the stairs. He feels invigorated enough to climb up twenty flights of stairs.

He strides over to a door set off to the side in the back and enters the access code for the stairwell entrance. Harry wonders if any of the other residents even know the code—he’s never seen anyone go in or come out of this door before.

By the time he reaches his floor, Harry feels a bit winded, but he’s proud of himself for getting in some extra physical activity for the day. He’s been so busy with work lately he’s barely had time to go to the gym.

He places his pointer finger on the lock pad for his apartment and waits for the quick scan. The screen glows green and his door slides open. Harry walks in and hastily hangs his coat up in the front closet.

“Niall?” He calls out.

Harry can hardly wait to tell Niall his good news. Today, Harry had a breakthrough on the case he’s been working on for the past few months, something that could probably help him win the trial.

He’s to prosecute a man charged with smuggling prohibited A-Class animals up to the Moon Colonies. Originally, Harry had thought this would be a tough case, mainly because they were running on a lot of circumstantial evidence.

It’s extremely difficult to prove that prohibited animals even exist in the colonies. Once the animals are taken up there, they are quickly handed over to the black market. The procurers discreetly sell them to wealthy clients for an exorbitant price.

Using his connections and formidable research skills, Harry was able to locate one of these buyers. When Harry had approached the buyer, she seemed open to testifying against the smuggler in exchange for not being charged for the possession of a prohibited A-Class. 

Harry had actually just returned from his trip to the colonies, having convinced this woman to be a key witness. He is exceptionally pleased with how the day turned out.

“I’m in here.” Harry snaps from his reverie when hears a familiar voice lilt in reply from what sounds like the kitchen. On his way to greet Niall, Harry drops his briefcase off in his study. He doesn’t intend to do anymore work today. It’s already very, very late.

It’s almost 2 o’clock in the morning and Harry appreciates the fact that Niall has waited up for him. But Harry isn’t all that surprised that he did, Niall always stays up for him when Harry works into the early hours of the morning.

Harry finds Niall placing a plate of freshly cooked pasta on the kitchen table. He gives Niall a quick kiss on the cheek and sits down to dig in. Harry loves that Niall makes food like this for him all the time. Before he had Niall, Harry would come home late at night and scrounge around in the fridge for any old leftovers or he’d just go to bed without eating.

“I’ve got some exciting news about the case,” Harry starts in between some bites of pasta as Niall sits across for him. Harry proceeds to tell Niall the day’s events, waving his fork about when he’s not using it to put more pasta in his mouth. All the while, Niall listens intently.

“I’m very happy for you,” Niall says after Harry is finally finished with his story, but the sentiment of his statement doesn’t manage to properly manifest itself in Niall’s facial features. He looks as though he has just reacted to Harry telling him something utterly mundane, something like _I went to the grocery store this morning_.

Harry’s mood instantly drops.

“You don’t look it,” Harry mutters under his breath, disappointed.

Niall must have heard him because suddenly a dozen or so expressions flit across Niall’s face in quick succession until his features rest upon a fairly excited look. Niall leans across the table to give a congratulatory kiss, trying to make up for his unsatisfactory response.

Despite Niall’s effort to correct his perceived wrongdoing, Harry is still unhappy. He lets out a frustrated sigh. He hates how he still has to sometimes alert Niall as to when he doesn’t react in the desired way. 

Niall was supposed to have picked up on what Harry wants in all instances by now, that is what he was made to do. Harry can’t help but wonder if Niall has some sort of defect.

“I’m going to go take a shower.” Harry gets up abruptly from the table and moves to exit the kitchen.

“Wait, I-“ Niall begins, pushes his chair back from the table and stands up.

Harry pauses in the doorway, but immediately wonders why he is waiting for Niall to explain himself. Niall doesn’t actually have the ability to explain his actions or words. He has no real way of understanding why he says things or why he does one thing and not the other.

“Well?” Harry questions sharply. He glances back to see that Niall appears vaguely unsure of what he should say next, as if he wasn’t expecting that Harry would want to hear him out. Maybe Niall had just uttered the words because he thought Harry wanted him to.

When Niall fails to say anything further, Harry shakes his head and makes his way towards the bathroom. Harry maliciously hopes that Niall feels guilty even though he knows it’s ridiculous to wish that. Niall can’t be programmed to feel anything really.

//

Once he’s taken a nice, hot shower, Harry feels slightly better. Only slightly because now he’s beginning to feel bad for how he treated Niall.

He wraps a towel loosely around his waist and pads barefoot out of the bedroom, following the sound of the television coming from the living room. Niall is sitting in the middle of the large couch watching a special report on the scientists behind the new integrated biosphere that will be used to house certain species that have completely lost their habitat in an effort to preserve them. 

Harry notes how rigid Niall’s posture is. He takes this stance sometimes when he senses tension in the atmosphere.

All of Niall’s attention seems focused on the program, but Harry knows full well that Niall is aware of his presence. He’s probably waiting for Harry to say something first because the earlier incident has left him a bit uncertain about how he should behave now. Harry takes a deep breath.

“Come to bed,” Harry implores. He doesn’t mean for it to sound like an order, but he knows Niall will take it as one. 

Niall nods and gets up from the couch, giving the command to shut off the television. Harry heads back to the bedroom and Niall trails closely behind him.

Going over to the dresser, Harry retrieves a pair of sleep shorts and slips them on, while Niall strips down to his boxer briefs. When Harry turns around to put his towel back into the bathroom and brush his teeth, he sees Niall watching him intently, searching for some sort of cue. When Niall notices he’s been found out he lowers his eyes and gets in bed.

Harry emerges from the bathroom and with a word, shuts the lights off. He slides into bed, moving about until he settles with his back facing Niall.

A few moments later, there’s rustling coming from the other side of the bed. Harry feels Niall sidle up behind him. 

“I’m sorry,” Niall says into his shoulder, somehow sounding defeated. He probably views an apology as his best option because Niall can’t quite comprehend why Harry got angry with him earlier. Niall places a chaste kiss on the spot right between Harry’s shoulder blades.

Harry’s guilt from before intensifies.

Harry oftentimes wonders if it was a mistake—buying an android. But ever since he started working, he had always felt like androids were the only possible companion who would put up with him through his hectic schedule. Harry had also convinced himself that he didn’t have time to develop a meaningful relationship with someone else. This led him to purchase Niall about a year ago.

At times, it doesn’t seem fair to Niall, whose sole purpose is to satisfy Niall, because no matter how eager Niall is to please him, Harry usually finds fault.

Harry realizes that many would find the remorse he feels for the way he treats Niall to be a bit strange, because as an android, Niall technically isn’t considered a living being.

Sometimes, Harry tends to forget that Niall is not human and that’s the problem.

**Author's Note:**

> okay, i've been wanting to do android!niall fic for a while now and i would like to write more, so hopefully this acts as a bit of a starting step.
> 
> come be friends with me on [tumblr](http://hastystyles.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
